i - . " - - t - " .. - . .
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VOL. XIV.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA., JULY 17, 1902.
NO. 8,
ROOSEVELT'S CAMPAIGN
'.
r
Smarting: Under Congressional Rebuke
President Engages LHtle-Had Little
field to get Even by 8hm Attack
on Trusts
Washington, D. C, July 15, 1902.
(Special Correspondence.) The repub
lican leaders do not wish to be unchar
itable to our chief executive, but they
fervently wish that some combination
of circumstances would make it im
possible for him to do any more talk-
ing until after the congressional cam
paign closes. The democrats are mak
ing no objection. Roosevelt furnishes
us daily with good and sufficient rea
sons why the party which he is doing
his egotistical best to ruin should not
control the next house.
It is true as some republican papers
try to comfort themselves that the
control of the next house would not
mean anything very decisive in itself
for either party. But it is pretty cold
comfort when they reflect that th
coming democratic control is the en
tering wedge for the next presidential
campaign and means that the people
that mass which moves so slowly is
getting ready for a complete over
turning of the republican party, not
primarily because it is the republican
party, but because it is committed to
trust domination at home and to a
most despotic system of militarism
abroad.
Roosevelt Is undoubtedly smarting
under the rebuke which congress ad
ministered when It ignored his mess
age on Cuban reciprocity. The well
known line of poetry might be para
phrased to read
"Hell hath no fury like an egotist
scorned."
Roosevelt had no Intention of in
terfering with the trusts after con
gress adjourned any more than he had
while it was in session. His picking up
of Littlefield is to administer a rebuke
to the party leaders of the house. Lit
tlefield is the bull in the China shop.
He ha3 a brilliant intellect packed In
to so narrow a cranium that it nevr
can see anything farther than its own
er's Interests.
The short cut to notoriety for Lit
tlefield was to oppose the house lead
ers. In a way it is his good fortune
that the president is a, man after his
own type. Both of them are looking
for personal gratification In the dia
comflture of members of their own
party and not for the welfare of the
people. Neither of them have the
breadth of statesmanship which would
put party success before personal feel
ing. The roost unlettered and ignorant
voter cannot be .deceived by the re
publican pretense of desire to curb the
trusts. A five-year-old child would
scorn the politician who waited until
congress had adjourned to begin a
howl about the trusts. Instead of de
ceiving the people it simply calls at
tention to the failure of congress to
exert itself.
Then, too, Payne, Dalzell et al, who
are already committed to the trusts,
cannot see their way clear to even a
pretense of following me Roosevelt
Littlefield campaign. The machine
has been pledged to the most diplo
matic tilence on trust iss es and there
will be republican campaign funds
forthcoming if this, silence is broken.
rhe democrats can win simply on
the republican record of the session
of congress just closed. The Philip
pine atrocities have been defended
by the republican party; therefore a
repetition of them may be expected ev
ery time the Filipinos rebel afresh.
They rebelled for three hundred years
under Spanish rule and ours has been
worse than that.
The recent congress not only ignored
trust aggression, but put Its seal of
approval on every sort of departmen
tal and official lobbying. Baa1 as the
cases were which came to light, they
are still more significant as Indicat
ing what the future policy will be.
The democrats by their watchful and
patriotic attitude exposed the prac
tices which the administration had
thought safely hidden. The demo
crats, through a widespread distribu tion
of literature and a most active
campaign-In every district will put
the facta before the voters and there
cannot be any doubt as to the resulr.
The democratic campaign is already
beginning vigorously. Chairman
Griggs In Washington and Ben Cabla
in Chicago will keep things moving,
although the actual fight must be made
in each district as local judgment dic
tates. Notwithstanding the sneers of
the republican press the democrat
were never so harmonious as at thu
present time. All sensible men real
ize that the issues themselves change
from time to time and the relative Im
portance of certain issues varies from
year to year. To accomplish the most
pressing and necessary reforms is the
first thing. Every vital Issue will be
met when the machinery of congress
and administration is In our hands.
The democratic victory is conceded
at republican congressional headquar
ters and it Is many years since the lat
ter put up so perfuncotry a pretense
of a campaign.
With Roosevelt past and to come
there Is very little hope of enough re
publican unity to compass success in
the next presidential campaign. All
of which helps the democratic pros
pects. D. P. B.
wounded. was unusually. large. There
was scarcely a town or village that
did not have one or more victims.
The French celebrate their Fourth,
which comes on the 14th, and com
memorates the fall of the Bastile, in a
different way. It Is the fashion to call
the French "volatile" and "pleasure
loving," but they . are, nevertheless,
capable of practicing common .sense
and restraint on occasions of public
rejoicing with a thoroughness that
ought to put to the blush an Ameri
can engaged in the pleasing art of
"making Rome howl." On the 14th
of July the fall of the Bastile! is an
nually celebrated by tout Paris. The
city gives itself over to Joy. - But It
does not consider that in doing this
it is necessary to make Paris unin
habitable for quiet-loving people, and
a place of menace to life and limb for
24 hours. During the day there is a
magnificent review of troops at Long
champs. Every one goes, and unless
exposure to the sun upsets them all
return intact. On the way home the
Parlsan dwadles for a while In the
Boi3. He and his family amuse them
selves innocently on the grass. It oc
curs to no one to make a hideourj
noise, to set off Ill-smelling and dan
gerous firecrackers, or to handle dead
ly weapons. Fapa and mamma and
the youngsters are well and happy
when they sit down to their evening
meal.. ...'. . ' "..
After dinner they swarm out upon
the boulevard, which has been turned
into a fairy bower. Flags, foliage and
innumerable little colored lamps in
close what is practically a gigantic
ball-room, the traffic of all vehicles be
neath the decorations having been sus
pended, and to the music of bands sta
tioned at hundreds of corners the pop
ulace dances till it is tired. It is tired,
but that Is all. There is little If any
drunkenness. There are few quar
rels. There are no "casualties" from
fireworks, for the "displays on the Seine
are in the hands of the authorities,
and delight thousands without hurt-
ng a fly. Is there not a lesson for us
n this? A' - -:'
Elaborate pyrotechnical displays
could be organized in some of our
pleasure grounds. ' Even if these or
other diversions- are Impracticable,
however, it is to be hoped that a more
rational mode of celebrating the
ourth may be developed, for our
greater safety and . comfort, and for
the preservation of our standing as a
civilized nation, i Intelligent London
ers have recently - bewailed the ex
cesses of some of the "coronation
SEWARD'S PURCHASE
FRENCH FOURTH OF JULY
It Comes on the Fourteenth Instead of th
Fourth and They Celebrate It Without
Filling Their Hospitals
. The enormous number of casualtle
which occurred on the last Fourth jf
July is causing comment both in thl3
country ana Europe. One Chicago
Hospital reported 125 patients, the re
suit of fireworks and fire-arm acci
Treasury Department Says Alaska Has
Produced Rerenaes in Excess of
Original Cost
A million dollars a month is the es
timate made by the bureau of statistics
of the present value of the market
which "frozen Alaska" offers, the pro
ducers and manufacturers of the Unit
ed States.
"Commercial Alaska In 1901" is tfce
title of a monograph just issued by
the treasury bureau of statistics. In
it are presented some striking figures
about this (until recently) little ex
plored and little understood territory
of the United States. By reason of
the application of modern systems of
travel and transportation, Alaska is
now as accessible as Arizona. Three
days of travel by modern ocean steam
ers from Seattle, among the islands
and along the coast which forms the
southeastern extension of Alaska,
lands the traveler at Skagway; twelve
hours by rail over the mountains car
ries him to the head waters of the Yu
kon where comfortable and well
equipped river steamers carry him to
the gold field of central Alaska or
down the Yukon river which is naviga
ble for more than 2,000 miles at this
season of the year. From the mouth
of the Yukon another comparatively
short trip, by steamer, carries him to
Cape Nome the latest and greatest of
the gold fields of Alaska.
Gold, fish and furs are, according 'to
this monograph, the principal indus
tries of Alaska at the present time and
they send to the United States 15 mil
lion dollars' worth of their products,
8 millions of gold, 6 millions of fish,
chiefly salmon, and the remainder fur3.
The cost of Alaska was $7,200,000.
The revenue which the government has
derived from it since Its purchase
amounts to over 9 million dollars, and
the value of the products are now
twice as much every year as it cost.
The total value of the products of
Alaska brought to the United States
since its purchase is (according to the
best estimates that the bureau of sta
tistics is able to make) about 150 mil
lions, of which 50 millions is precious
metals, 50. millions products of the
fisheries,, chiefly salmon, and 50 mil
lions more furs, chiefly seal fur. Proo-
ably 50 million dollars of , American
capital are Invested in Alaskan indus
tries and business enterprises, includ
ing , transportation systems: In the
salmon: fisheries alone, the companies
Jt af! eyii3s- million dollars and the value of their
of 'Mafeklng night" and "peace -ai..i i
night." Must we go on, indefinitely,
bewailing the ' humiliations of the
Fourth of July?
ENORMOUS TAXATION
The Appropriations Made by Congress
Greater Than was Ever - Imposed on
Any Nation Before ' - - .'
If we mistake not the' appropria
tions made at this session of congress
are greater than were ever 1 imposed
on any nation in one year .in all his
tory. The total of this year's appro
priations exceeds the aggregate of our
government's net ordinary expendi
tures, including interest, from its birth
In 1789 down to the year 1847; that 13
to say, the cost of running the United
States during the first 58 years of the
nation's existence. . '
This is a great nation the greatest
on earthbut The Independent very
much doabts whether the people can
stand such a strain as that for any
great length of time. There are what
are called "continuing apDronria-
tions, that is, great works have been
planned, costing millions, and the ap
propriations are made from year to
year as the work , advances. Such Is
the case with the navy. That makes
it impossible to greatly reduce the bur
den for many years to come.
The aggregate of the direct appro
priations contained In the several reg
ular bills of the session, including the
first appropriation of $50,130,000 for
the isthmian canal, Is $800,193,837.
The contracts authorized on river and
harbor improvement, public buildings
and other federal work, including tho
estimated cost of the' canal, this last
to be provided for by; a bond issue,
add $259,373,215; so that the total of
expenditure actually , voted -. for at ; the
first session of the 57th congress
amounts to $1,059,577,052. This justi
fies the description of the recent ses
sion as a billion-dollar . session."
fies perfectly the republican theory o?
exclusion;; both aa represented in its
tariff policy and its system of finance."
The democrats ' if or the sake of the
small traders and minor money skin
ners, have advocated , a sort of lib
eral" Sabbath In these matters, or
else the complete ; elimination of all
bounds, i The republican party won,
and Oxnard - is. its ; chief protector.
Though others be misled by sentiment,
and. be Induced to, give aid and'eom-
fort tQ Cuba, Oxnard, swearing by the
McKinlpv bill the baslfll on which is
built the present; administration and
the Dingley ' billwhich, has material
ly . aided . the administration refuses
to bate one- lot of his pound of flesh,
and will have every ddllar that is com-
ne to him from the particular system
of capitalist government that he and
his fellows have been able to institute.
Roosevelt may rave and pound, and
the Times may scold, but Mr. Oxnard
s carrying out In all their glory and
purity the principles of the g. b. p.
Weekly People (soc) , New York.
The Five Stages
In all the media of transportation
and communication there seems to be
a definit law of evolution. Everv
where at first they are in private hands
and used for purposes of extortion or
of profit, like the highways In me
dieval Europe, or the early bridges
and canals. In the second stage they
are affected with public interest.
and are turned over to trustees, who
are permitted to charge fixed tolls,
but are required to keep ' the service
up to a certain standard; this was the
era of the canal and . turnpike trusts or
companies. In the third stage the
government takes over the; service,
but manages it for profits, as is still
the case today in -'some countries with
the post and railway system. In the
fourth stage, the government charges
tolls or fees only to cover expenses,
as until recently in the case of canals
and bridges, and as is the theory o?
the postal system and of the municipal
water supply with us at the present
time. In 1 the fifth stage the govern
ment reduces charges until finally
there is no charge at all, and the ex
penses are defrayed by a general tax
on the community. ' This is the stage
now reached in the common roads and
most of the canals and bridges, and
which has been proposd by officials
of several 'American ciilies for other
servl ces , U ke the waterpuppIy.-Prof ,
plants, including vessels, is given at
12 million dollars. - In the mining In
dustries there are large investments
the great quartz mill at Juneau being
the largest quartz stamp mill in ,the
world, while several other quartz mills
represent large investments. . . With the
inflow of capital, the development of
transportation systems, and the gold
discoveries, has come the building up
of towns and the development of citle3
with modern conveniences of , life.
Nome City, which Is located but a
comparatively short distance south of
the Arctic circle, has now a population
of over 12,000; postal facilities have
been so extended that the number of
postoffices is now about 60, and mails
are being regularly delivered north of
the Arctic circle.
Agricultural possibilities in Alaska
have, until within a recent periol.
been considered of but slight import
ance. As the country w3 explored,
however, and its conditions of climate
and soil studied, its natural products
observed, and experiments made with
various classes of agricultural pro
ductions, it became apparent that the
agricultural possibilities of the coun
try, and especially of the south and
southeast, where the climate is modi
fied by the Japan, current, were of con
siderable importance in view of the
practicability of furnishing at least a
part of the food supply of the popula
tion which , the varied resources . of
Alaska seem likely to sustain and
make permanent. . These observations
and experiments lead those who have
participated in them to the belief that
vegetables in great variety can be pro
duced all along the southern coast,
and In the valley, of the Yukon, and
by some the possibility of the success
ful production of wheat and oats Is
strongly supported. The grasses for
the support of cattle are abundant,
and the experiment with live stock
thus far justify the belief that this
feature of the food requirements of
Alaska may be furnished by the de
velopment of stock farms in t.he south
ern sections. In the north vast area's
are covered with a moss similar to
that upon which the reindeer thrives
in other -parts of the - Arctic regions,
and in view of this fact the Introduc
tion of reindeer from Siberia was be
gun a few years since and has proved
extremely successful, about 3,000 now
being distributed through northwest
Alaska, and the experiment has ad
vanced sufficiently to justify the. confi
dent belief that the reindeer will with
in a few years prove an important
feature in furnishing both . the trans
portation and food supply of , north
ern and northwestern; Alaska. ; ;
The gross area of Alaska is, accord
ing to the 1900 census, 590,804. Tho
governor of Alaska in a recent report
states that thi3 is equal, to the -combined
area Of the' twenty states of
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connea
ticut, New York, New Jersey, Penu
sylvania, Delaware, : Maryland, Vir
ginia, West Virginia, North Carolina
South Carolina Georgia, Florida. Ala
bama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Oxnar4 Shylock '. ;
The republican, democratic and er
atic press Is hot on the trail of Ox
hard, the successful sugar trust lob
piest, une. limes, , wnicn nas run
away irom as many issues as any
other paper, calls Oxnard the meanes
THE PHILIPPINE FRIARS
GoTernor Ta ft Meets With Difficulties at
Borne and the Pope la In a Quandary
That the Vatican is somewhat embar
rassed in meeting the requests of Gov
ernor Taft, in the matter of the friars
n the Philippines, is easy to under
stand., It is embarrassing business on
both' sides. The United States is a
country . where religious freedom pre
vails,, and-the same religious freedom
must prevail in its dependencies, oi
there would be a . terrific protest at
home. For the American government
formally . to expel the: friars from the
sland3. therefore., could not be
thought of, since the .expulsion would
have to be based on reilgious grounds.
But the American government would
be only too glad if the Vatican would
recall them or order them away from
the archipelago. ". The Vatican, on the
other hand,, does not like to order cer
tain of its great missionary orders out
of . particular fields which were orig-
nally Christianized by those organiza
tions. Looking at the case from the
viewpoint of Rome, .'one can under
stand somewhat the difficulties of the
situation. Those - orders themselves
are powerful in other -quarters thm
the Philippines, : and their whol
strength will be) exerted in favor of the
friars in the eastern archipelago. It Is
not surprising that the Vatican, ac
cording to report,? w$uld .prefer that
the American -government should ex-r
pel the orders, and then., the Roman
tierarchy appear to acquiesce in some
thing which it had had no power to
averts The position is difficult, sure
enough, for Rome, which is anxious
to maintain good,, relations with the
United States government. The chanc
es are 2 to 1 that if the Presbyterians
were asked by any government t
withdraw their missionary societies
from a similar, field they would taka
a long time in complying with the re
quest. Every church likes to stand by
its own children. ; .
Oreenbaeks Killed by Cry of "Has; Baby"
Silrer by "Fifty-Cent" Dollar The Old
. Issue Forglag Ahead
A prominent eastern democrat, In a
private letter to the editor, says: "I
congratulate you on your large sub
scription list--hope you will find pro
fitable advertising during the coming
year. . . . I had hoped that the demo
cratic party especially Mr. Bryan s
wing would drop . the old dogma of
tariff -for-re venue-only and substitute
an income tax for revenue only; but
t now, seems that the democrats are
going into the fall campaign on the
same old basis. This will certainly de
feat them. I don t believe they will
carry a single northern state, and in
the south the republicans will gain.
"I have avoided the money question
partly because I have never had much
enthusiasm for free coinage of silver.
have only supported it because I
thought it was less dangerous than
free coinage of gold. I am beginning
to think now that the money question
will bear more discussion in the fu
ture. , .
"In 1876-78 I became an ardent
greenbacker. In connection therewith
the convertible bond was slightly dis
cussed. But . they killed the- green
back by: calling it a 'rag-baby.' I went
nto the free coinage of silver move
ment, thinking that they could not
kill the old standard silver dollar by
calling It a rag baby; nor could they
but they killed It by calling it a
fifty-cent' dollar.
"Now we shall have to put an end
to further free coinage of gold and
revive the old greenback and convert-
ble bond theory with certain modifi
cation. There is plenty of work on
this line and the laborers are few."
VICTORY; IN DEFEAT
The Hear Address to tha People of Their
Nation Reminds Every one of the Im- ,
mortal Wards of Lincoln
The letter of the Boer leaders," an
nouncing peace to their countrymen,
is of an admirable dignity and a wise
and noble spirit It Is short (less
than 350 words), and perfectly simple.
It thanks the Boers for their heroism,
their sacrifices, - their obedience and
fidelity; tells of , the provision made
for widows and orphans, expresses
sympathy for those who mourn, and
praise and thanks to women and chil
dren "who have heroically borne the
must, uiiier oauiin;w..auu bueiiuq.
Then it continues:
"Now there is peace, - and although
not the peace such as we longed fov,
yet let us abide where God has led
us. We can with a clear conscience
declare that for two and a half years
our people carried on the struggle in
a manner almost unknown in history.
Let us now grasp each other's hands,
for another great struggle lies before
us for the spiritual and social prosper
ity and welfare of our people.
"Casting aside all feeling of bitter
ness, let us learn to forget and for
give, so that the deep wounds caused
by this war may be healed." ..
We have all read before somethin
like that. Is not this it?
"With malice towarcr none, , with
charity for all, with firmness in the
right as God gives us to see the right,
let us finish the work we are in, to
bind up the nation's wounds, to care
for him who shall have borne the
battle and for his widow and his or
phans, to do all that may achieve a
just and lasting : peace among our
selves and with all nations."
These were the words of a great
leader with victory In sight at the close
of a prodigious struggle. The Boer
leaders : are beaten men, talking to
losers. But the" likeness .In the spirit
of the two addresses Is strong enough
to suggest that if there is such a thing
as winning a def eaV: the Boers have
won theirs. Men who come out of
such a war with such a spirit are very
like victors. They have won some
thing that is worth while, though i
may not be the precise thing they were
fighting for. Harper s Weekly.
Piatt of New York and Quay of
Pennsylvania have both announced
that they are for Roosevelt's nomina
tion and Quay says that when ; New
York and Pennsylvania pull together
irr ar republican convention they get
what they want.5 Roosevelt may be a
reformer, but it Is a little strange that
all the rotten political bosses In the
THE TREND OF EVENTS
THE SUGAR BEET
People In the Kast are Astonished at the
Way Oxnard Has Been Able to Hold
up the Whole Government
That there is something behind this
sugar beet "hold up' of the president
and congress besides the few millions
nvested in that industry must be ap
parent to any man. The census of
1900 gives these statistics of factories
engaged In extracting sugar from the
beet: '
No., of establishments...... 31
CapitaL invested -. ... . . . . $20,958,519
Av. No. of wage earners.' 1,970
Wages paid $1,092,207
Cost of materials. ... . . . . . 4,803,783
Value of product. , . . . . ... . . 7,323,857.
In point of capital Invested this in
dustry figures to the extent of about
two-tenths of 1 per cent in the total
manufacturing industry of the United
States. In point of value of product,
its relative position is measured by
about six one-hundredths of 1 per cent.
Nor is it apparent that reciprocity with
Cuba would affect in the slightest de
gree adversely ' this very small beet
sugar interest. Occasionally we read
of two or three men on horseback
holding up and terrorizing a whoSs
town out' west; but here is a national
hold-up comparable only with that of
a city like New York held at bay by
a single cowboy.
What is it that is behind Oxnard?
States like West Virginia, that never
raised a sugar beet and never will,
are lending their aid to the movement.
The power that is doing it is either
financial or political, or both. Most
probably it is politics. There is a
certain clique of senators who are de
termined to down Roosevelt. That is
evident to all. But this seems to be a
poor way of doing it, for this assault
is likely, to make the president more
popular. The most likely thing that
The Independent can think of is that
a clique . of financiers having secured
mortgages on most of Cuba, are play
ing a game of their own. They want
to pauperize the Island, Just as thpy
pauperized the people of this country
by; the Cleveland-Sherman policy
Then they propose to take' in the
property on mortgages and force Cuba
into a revolution and final annexation
to the United States. One thing Is
certain. It Is not. their love for a few
farmers who raise sugar beets that in
spires these men. The mullet heads
will believe that sort of a story, but
no one else will.
THE DROUTH OF 1901
Effect of Dry Weather That Tear Upon the
Exports of the United States
It is now practicable to determine
the effect of the drouth of 1901 upon
the export trade of 1902. The treas
ury bureau of statistics has just com
pleted Its preliminary figures on the
exports of breadstuff s and provisions
and, as they show about 97 per cent Yf
the total exports, a reasonably accur
ate measurement of the exportation of
articles affected by the drouth of last
year can now be made. The tables
show the ' exports of quantities and
value of corn and cornmeal, oats and
oatmeal, wheat flour and other bread-
stuffs, also live cattle, fresh beef and
other beef products as well as other
provisions. : The direct and most
marked reduction of course is In corn
which was most largely anected by
the drouth of 1901. The exportation
of corn at the principal ports, shown
by the preliminary report of the bu
reau of statistics, amounts to 26 mil-
lioa bushels in the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1902, against 176 millions at
the same ports In the preceding year,
the value for 1902 being 16 million dol
lars against 82 millions in tne preced
ing r year, a reduction of 66 million
dollars; the complete figures will prob
ably show the total exports at about
27 million bushels against 181 millions
in the preceding year. Exportations
of cornmeal have also fallen from 2.
million dollars In 1901 to 1 million
corn exports in round terms, as shown
by the preliminary figures, 67 million
dollars. Compared with the fincal
year 1900 the reduction Is still greater;
the corn exports of the fiscal year 1900
were the largest in the history of our
export trade, having amounted to 213,-
123,412 bushels while for the year just
ended the complete figures will amount
to about 27 million bushels. r
But the effect of the drouth upon the
export trade did not stop with corn,
though in this item it la most largely
apparent. The reduction in the quan
tity of corn available for live stock
naturally Increased the consumption
of oats and, as a result, the exporta
tion of oats fell off from 37 million
bushels in the fiscal year 1901 to 10
million bushels in 1902, and the valuo
rom about 12 million dollars in 1901
to 4 millions in 1902. In oatmeal, ex
portations fell from 90 million pou:nd3
in 1901 to 59 million pounds in 1902,
while the value fell from two and a
quarter million dollars in 1901 to a
ittle over one and one-half million
dollars in 1902. Thus the reduction in
value of the exports of breadstuffs,
clearly traceable to the drouth, was:
Corn and cornmeal, 67 million dollars;
oats and oatmeal, 8 million dollars;
total, 75 million dollars.
Two other marked reductions In the
exportation of products of agriculture
are beef, Including live cattle, and cot
ton. The exportation of live came
has fallen from 401 thousand in 1901
to 319 in 1902; the exportation of fresh
beef from 350 million pounds in 1901
to 300 million pounds in 1902, and the
total value of cattle and beef products
has fallen from 80 million dollars, in
901 to 69 millions in 1902, a loss
of 11 million dollars. In cotton the
reduction is wholly due to the reduced
prices, the quantity exported for the
year being 160. million pounds greater
than in the preceding year, while the
value was 24 million dollars less than
the preceding year. i
One other item of exports which will
show a marked reduction during the
ast year Is iron and steel. ,While the
total figures of exports have not been
received by the bureau of statistics,
sufficient have been received to justify
an estimate that the reduction in ex
ports of iron and steel will amount, in
ound terms, to 20 million dollars, duo
n a large measure, to Increase in the
home demand upon our manufacturers,
and in part to the decreased demand
abroad. The principal reduction in
the export trade of the year will, then
stand:. Corn and cornmeal and oars
ani oatmeal, 75 million dollars, due
cb fly to the drouth of. 1901; beef an J
eef cattle, 11 millions, due to in
creased home demand and shortage
in material for feed of stock; cotton'
24 millions, due to reduction in prices;
manufactures of iron and steel, 20 mil-
ions, due to increased home demand
and decreased foreign demand.
Thus in the four Items of exports
corn and oats, beef and beef cattle,
raw cotton, and manufactures of iron
and steel, the reduction for the fiscal
year will amount to about 130 million
dollars, while the .total reduction In all
exports Is but about 90 million dollars.
thus indicating that the general ex
ports aside from, these four classes, in
which conditions were abnormal, will
show a satisfactory growth when the
complete figures of the fiscal year are
presented.
A Mid-Road Look Ahead
It is well enough, perhaps, that the
reform movement was temporarilly
sidetracked In 1896, for had that flank
movement of the old parties not been
made then it would have been, made
later and perhaps would have been as
successful. But now that lesson has
been learned and it will not have to
be learned again. . Fusion still pre
vails in the west, but It: is the final
windup of that policy, In our opinion
We do not know but what after the
six years of fusion in the-west it Js
well enough that the populists there
are not standing alone this year. It
is not a favorable time for a divorce
between the two . parties in those
states. The fact that the democratic
party as a national organization J s
done with Bryanism; done with the
Chicago platform, has not been made
clear in Kansas and Nebraska and
farther west. But the truth will come
out immediately following this year's
elections. Their confidence in the sin
cerity of Mr. Bryan may continue and
events may prove that he is entitled to
even more credit for sincerity of pur
pose than has been given him by :
great many. Nevertheless it will be
come as plain as daylight that the cx
perienced and tricky politicians of the
democratic party, let the -Chicago con
vention go. as it did for the purpose cf
killing the reform movement, and ab
sorbing its membership. For the pop
ulists of , Kansas and . Nebraska - to
break away from their fusion policy
now might leave many populists r in
the democratic party and many demo
crats would remain in the democratic
party who will not separate from the
people's party when the middle-of-the-road
is taken in 1904, because it will
be long before that be plain that the
democratic party is. under the contro
of the same influences that shaped its
course when it ran Cleveland for 'cho
presidency ; three , times. Missour
World. ,
Demonetize Gold
John Hays Hammond estimates thnt
South Africa will produce four billion
dollars of gold in the next 25 years
Four billion dollars Is four thousand
million. That means double, perhaps
treble the present supply of redemp
tion money. That doubles the price
o'f produce, houses . and land. That
spells prosperity for .25 years. It la
dollars to doughnuts that the money
changers will soon make an attempt
to "demonetize gold as too plentiful.
;They couldn't stand that - much -pros-perl
ty .News-Champion, Gunnlson
HARRINGTON'S ARGUMENT
Before the Supreme Coert lathe Masda-
mas Salt, Against State Board of
Equalization
Upon the argument of the case cf
State ex rel Bee Building Company vs.
State Board of Equalization, Hon. M.
Harrington, of O'Neill, one of tho
relators In the case, said:
The Questions involved here are of
so much importance that it should be
the duty of all parties interested to
urnish the court all possible lignt
upon the transactions.
I think that the first thing to be
considered, and in the end the main
thing, is whether or not the railway
companies of the state are paying a
tax in proportion . to their property
ownership. In the first instance we
will have to ascertain the general rule
of assessment of property in the state.
Our basis here is not founded upon
magination, it is founded upon the
public records, it is founded upon the
testimony in this case. The return
made by the assessors and county
clerk of Douglas county certify that In
that county for all county and state
purposes the property of the county
s assessed at one-sixth of its fair
cash value. As to the assessors and
county clerk of Lancaster county we
have their certificate that the prop
erty In this county is assessed at on-
fifth of its fair cash value. These are
the two heavy tax paying counties of
the state, and the lowest valuation Is
one-sixth of its fair cash value.
We do not need to stop with these
counties. Thirteen of the counties re
turn that their property is assessed at
one-fourth of its fair cash value, nine
counties return that it Is assessed .t
one-third of its fair cash value; four
counties return it is assessed at one
sixth of its fair cash value; two return
that their property Is assessed at one
seventh of its fair cash value; twenty-
one return that their property Is as
sessed at one-fifth of its fair cash
value, one returns one-eighth of :ts
fair cash value, and the others rang
ing from one-fifth to one -tenth with
two exceptions. There is not a county
in Nebraska that returns Its property
at less than one-tenth of its fair cash
value, and there are only four coun
ties out of the ninety in Nebraska that
return at less than one-sixth of its
fair cash value. So I am within the
bounds of truth, my statement hern
is - conservative, as based upon this
testimony, that property, generally
speaking, In Nebraska is assessed at
one-sixth, . of Its fair . cash value. All
we expect these railway companies to
la is to pay that ame rate of tax
ation. We expect the state board of
equalization to assess the railroad
property at one-sixth of its fair cash
value. The relief sought here should
be awarded.1 If it be true that the
franchises and other intangible prop
erty of these railway companies have
been omitted from the tax list, if thy
have not been assessed, then it is th
duty of this board to reassemble and
assess that property which they have
by their act exempted from taxation.
If, upon the other hand, they took into
consideration the franchise, and if they
made the assessment so low that it is
a fraud upon the taxpayers in the state
thsn that assessment so made by them
is utterly void in law, and it is their
duty to reassemble and make a new
assessment of the property. So that
If either one of these things has oc
curred, or if both of these things hawa
occurred, it is the duty of this board
to reassemble and make a new assess
ment of the property.
i What is a franchise, It Is said, ani
what Is its value? It may be defined
more easily by illustration or by nega
tives than by an affirmative answer. I
could illustrate it by a plain case that
we all know about, occurring In re
cent years. Here was the Union Pa
cific railroad in the hands of receiver
but a . few years ago, with a bonded
debt much less than the bonded debt
of today, yet that road was finally to
come to sale, and that corporation wss
to go out of business, and It could no
longer pay dividends upon Its stock,
and the result was that the stock of
that corporation went to as low as a
few cents on the dollar per share, and
that was for the reason that the fran
chise was practically taken away froia
that corporation; its right to levy
tolls practically ceased to exist, but
just as soon as that corporation was
reorganized; Just as soon as there
was new life given to It; Just as 6001?
as it had the right to take tolls upon
the grain and upon the cattle and on
the product of our mills, and to taka
toll for carrying passengers and to
levy tribute not only on the crops and
manufactures of this year, but for the
years and ages to come whether under
public or private control; just as soon
as it became that in porpetuity they
might collect the levy tribute upan
trade between the Occident and the
orient as soon as that occurred, th.'s
franchise gave life and tremendous
value ;to the common stock of tha
Union Pacific and today, instead of be
ing worth $5 a share, it is worth and
can be cashed on Wall street before
noon tomorrow for $107 a share.
That is what a franchise is, the right
to collect tolls; the right to levy tri
bute; the right to make rates and in
crease them at will that is what a
franchise means. It is in perpetuity;
It Is because it lasts for the ages to
come; because it is in Itself the very
means by which they collect tribute
and dividends and pay interest on their
bonds, whether, they represent value
or represent water whether they rep
resent value in dollars or cents, jr
whether they are conceived in iniquity
and born in fraud as I propose to show
the bonds and stocks to two-thirds of
their extent were of tba Union Pacific
railroad
Now we can get some things by com
parison. - Back in 1874 the lines of
railroads In this state, which were
but streaks of rust in comparison with